Material removal manufacture, assembly, and method of assembly

Abstract

Milling-drumless products, systems, manufactures, and methods for removing material, such as concrete or asphalt, and a system and method of assembling material removal (for example, grinding and/or cutting) blade elements, or blade elements and spacers, to fabricate a configuration that eliminates a need for a large milling drum are provided. The method allows the configuration to be adjusted easily in a field situation to most any material removal width by exchanging, adding or subtracting blade elements and/or spacers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A milling-drumless system for material removal, said system comprising:
 a mandrel that engages a rotary drive, wherein the mandrel has a cylindrical portion that has a cylindrical mating surface and a mandrel centerline, and has a first end that provides a first interior shoulder;   a labyrinth ring that engages the mandrel and provides an attachment point to a larger device; and   a material removal section, wherein the material removal section comprises at least one of either a set of a plurality of blade elements, a set of a plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both,
 wherein the material removal section has an inner diameter that mates to the mandrel cylindrical mating surface, and 
 wherein each of the plurality of blade elements has a core portion and at least two shoulder portions, wherein the core portion provides a lateral contact surface, and wherein each shoulder portion has at least one abrasive element attached such that the rotary motion of the mandrel around the mandrel centerline by the rotary drive moves the abrasive element, which provides a working zone that removes material in which the zone is placed; and 
 wherein the mandrel has a second end that provides a second interior shoulder; 
 wherein a transverse force connects the first interior shoulder, the lateral contact surface of the core portion of each of the plurality of blade elements, and the second interior shoulder, wherein the transverse force holds in place the material removal section; and 
 wherein for each blade element of the plurality of blade elements, the blade element is configured such that each blade element has shoulders of a first and of a second alternating configurations, the first configuration having a different number of abrasive elements than the second configuration, and the abrasive elements of the first and second configurations are aligned at a same radial distance from the mandrel centerline and the abrasive elements in a first set of abrasive elements are arranged in a first orientation and the abrasive elements in a second set of abrasive elements are arranged in a second orientation offset from the first orientation such that the abrasive elements of adjacent blade elements along the mandrel centerline overlap around the mandrel centerline. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein for a set of a plurality of blade elements and spacers, a perimeter of the core portion of the blade elements is consistent with an outer diameter of the spacers such that for the set of a plurality of blade elements and spacers, that upon the mandrel pieces being attached, provide a continuous surface that protects the mandrel cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of each of the shoulders of the first and of the second alternating configurations has a greater thickness than the core portion of a blade element, and wherein said labyrinth ring and said at least one of either a set of the plurality of blade elements, the set of the plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, have a predetermined configuration as mounted on the mandrel such that an interference zone of one greater thickness shoulder portion of a blade element abuts a greater thickness portion of a successive blade element. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of either a set of the plurality of blade elements, the set of plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, are configured such that abrasive elements provide a material removal capability across a width of the material removal section. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the configuration of abrasive elements provide material removal capability at a plurality of radial distances from the mandrel centerline. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of either a set of the plurality of blade elements, the set of plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, are configured such that said at least one abrasive element provides a material removal capability across less than a width of the material removal section. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the configuration of abrasive elements provide material removal capability at a plurality of radial distances from the mandrel centerline. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of either a set of the plurality of blade elements, the set of plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, are configured such that abrasive elements provide a material removal capability of a predetermined plurality of widths and predetermined gaps between the plurality of material removal widths. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of either a set of the plurality of blade elements, the set of plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, are configured such that abrasive elements are permanently attached to blade elements at a swept back angle relative to a horizontal plane from a top plane of a face of the abrasive element. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of blade elements is configured such that an abrasive element of said respective blade element is comprised of alternating configurations of the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the first configuration comprises two abrasive elements aligned at the same radial distance from the mandrel centerline and the second configuration comprises a single abrasive element aligned at the same radial distance from the mandrel centerline as the first configuration, and further comprises a rotation path of a centerline of the single abrasive element of the second configuration that rotates in the same rotation path as a point equidistant between the centers of the two circular abrasive elements of the first configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of either a set of plurality of blade elements, the set of plurality of blade elements and spacers, or both, are configured such that abrasive elements are detachably attached to said blade elements at a swept back angle relative to a horizontal plane from a top plane of a face of the abrasive element. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of blade elements is configured such that abrasive elements per blade element are comprised of alternating configurations of the first and the second configuration, wherein the first configuration comprises two abrasive elements aligned at the same radial distance from the mandrel centerline and the second configuration comprises a single abrasive element aligned at the same radial distance from the mandrel centerline as the first configuration, and further comprises that a rotation path of the single abrasive element of the second configuration rotates in the same rotation path as a point equidistant between the centers of the two circular abrasive elements of the first configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each abrasive element of said at least one abrasive element comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of round, rectangular, square, triangular, polygonal, oval and truncated circular, and wherein each abrasive element of said at least one abrasive element are either all the same shape or are of different shapes. 
     
     
         14 . A method of fabricating a milling-drum-less head assembly for material removal comprising:
 engaging a first end portion of a mandrel to a labyrinth ring, wherein the labyrinth ring is sized to engage a drive shaft and provides an attachment point to a larger device,
 wherein the mandrel has a cylindrical portion that has a cylindrical mating surface and a mandrel centerline, and the mandrel engages a keyway of the drive shaft, and 
 wherein the mandrel comprises a first mandrel shoulder portion at the first end portion, the first mandrel shoulder portion providing a mandrel contact zone for a first lateral portion of a first of at least two of a plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers, wherein the at least two of a plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers each has a first lateral portion and an opposing second lateral portion, and the cylindrical mating surface mates with an inner diameter of the at least two of a plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers, 
   placing, in a predetermined order and number, the first of the at least two of a plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers onto the mandrel cylindrical portion with the first lateral portion of the at least two of a plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers contacting the mandrel contact zone, and for each of the remaining at least two of a plurality of blade elements or blade elements and spacers being placed in the predetermined order and number placed onto the mandrel cylindrical portion, a successive first lateral portion mates with a previous second lateral portion of a previous placed plurality of blade elements or a plurality of blade elements and spacers,
 wherein for each blade element of the plurality of blade elements, the blade element is configured such that each blade element has shoulders of a first and of a second alternating configurations, the first configuration has a different number of abrasive elements than the second configuration, the abrasive elements of adjacent blade elements along the mandrel centerline overlap around the mandrel centerline, and the abrasive elements of the first and second configurations are aligned at a same radial distance from the mandrel centerline; and 
   attaching an end piece of the mandrel to the mandrel cylindrical portion, wherein the end piece of the mandrel engages the keyway of the drive shaft, the end piece providing a second mandrel shoulder portion that contacts the lateral portion of the last predetermined number, and wherein the attached end piece of the mandrel provides a transverse force parallel to the mandrel centerline,   wherein the predetermined order and number provides a non-symmetrical arrangement across the mandrel centerline.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of blade elements has a core portion wherein the core portion provides the first lateral portion and the opposing second lateral portion, wherein a rotary motion of a rotary drive moves the abrasive elements of the first and the second alternating configurations and provides a working zone for removing material in which the zone is placed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lateral portions of the blade elements and blade elements and spacers create a core zone wherein an outer perimeter of the core zone has full contact across the material removal section. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein for the placing, in the predetermined order and number, a further step comprising:
 following a first placing of the at least one of the plurality of blade elements or the plurality of blade elements and spacers onto the mandrel cylindrical portion and upon the placement of a successive blade element, rotating the successive blade element around an axis of the cylindrical portion of the mandrel until contact of an interference zone between the two blade elements of the first and successive blade elements is made, wherein the contacting interference zone provides a spin-lock that assists in maintaining the orientation of the subset of the predetermined number and order.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the steps of:
 placing, in the predetermined order and number, and   attaching the end piece of the mandrel,   precede the step of engaging the first end portion of the mandrel to the labyrinth ring, the labyrinth ring being sized to engage the drive shaft and provide the attachment point to the larger device.   
     
     
         19 . A manufacture for use in a material removal system, comprising:
 a plurality of blade elements configured such that a plurality of abrasive elements per blade element are comprised of alternating configurations of a first and a second configuration,   wherein the first configuration comprises at least two abrasive elements aligned along a centerline of the blade element and wherein the second configuration comprises at least one abrasive element aligned at a same radial distance from the blade element centerline as the first configuration,   a rotation path of the at least one abrasive element of the second configuration about the blade element centerline rotates in the same rotation path as a point equidistant between centers of the at least two abrasive elements of the first configuration, and   the abrasive elements of adjacent blade elements along the blade element centerline overlap along respective rotation paths about the blade element centerline.   
     
     
         20 . The manufacture for use in a material removal system according to  claim 19 , wherein the second configuration comprises a single abrasive element aligned at the same radial distance from the blade element centerline as the first configuration, and the first configuration and the second configuration comprise different numbers of abrasive elements. 
     
     
         21 . The manufacture according to  claim 19 , wherein each abrasive element in the plurality of abrasive elements comprises a material being polycrystalline diamond (PCD). 
     
     
         22 . The manufacture according to  claim 19 , wherein said manufacture is configured for use with a milling-drumless system for material removal according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         23 . The manufacture according to  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of blade elements includes a core portion and a shoulder portion, and for each respective blade element fixed to the first configuration of abrasive elements:
 the at least two abrasive elements are attached to the same shoulder portion such that rotary motion of the plurality of blade elements moves the at least two abrasive elements as twin abrasives and provides a working zone that removes material in which the working zone is placed, and   a portion of the shoulder has a greater thickness than the core portion along the centerline.